A New Open Men’s National Champion Will Be Crowned.

After four days of rest the top male surfers in New Zealand finally got back in the water to contest the Open Men’s Division of the Hyundai National Surfing Championships presented by Quiksilver today (Friday 11th January). With a southerly front brushing up the East Coast, a bold move was made to move the whole event 45 minutes up the coast to Kaiaua just north of Tologa Bay. After the completion of the quarter and semifinals of the Open Men’s Division only four surfers remain and none of them have won an open men’s national title before.

Bobby Hansen (Gis), New Zealand’s highest rated surfer on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS), was again a standout maintaining the form that had him marked as one of the event favourites from his early round performances.

Hansen made quick work of the first semifinal posting an 8.75 point ride on his first wave for an array of scorching big turns only moments after the start of the heat. He then rode a 6.65 point ride to hold a commanding lead before playing with his last few waves knowing a finals birth was in the bag. In a similar fashion it was Matt Scorringe (WGM) that scored a 7.75 on his first wave and backed it up with a 6.0 point ride to progress in second place. The good start by both Hansen and Scorringe put the pressure on Maz Quinn (Gis) and it proved too much. Even with four titles under Quinn’s belt he was unable to fight his way back from a slow start after being too selective in the shifty beach break conditions. Quinn ended up finishing fourth in the heat with Raglan surfer Luke Cederman placing third. Cederman earlier pulled the biggest ‘alley oop’ aerial manoeuvre of the event in his quarterfinal heat.

The second semifinal became a close high scoring affair with all four surfers fighting hard for progression. Jay Quinn (Gis) came out on top scoring 14.75 showing why his surfing is highly regarded around the world. Quinn’s surfing is powerful and precise and the shifty beach break conditions did not seem to bother him when he posted an 8.5 point ride on his last wave. Zennor Wernham (Rag) won the battle for second posting a total heat score of 13.40. Wernham used his usual vertical attack to win out over Blair Stewart (Gis) in third (12.85) and fellow Raglan surfer Leon Santorik in fourth (10.15).

The final of the open men’s division will form the climax of the Hyundai National Championships presented by Quiksilver. The final will be run early on Saturday afternoon.

A stoked Alex Dive (Mnt) became only the second New Zealand surfer to win the Quiksilver King of the Groms today when came out on top of a super close tussle with Johnny Hicks (Gis).

Dive put pressure on the other three finalists from the outset when he opened his account with a 7.25 point ride. “I was stoked to get that first good ride. Johnny was on the inside and he pulled back from getting the wave and I got it so yeah I was stoked it was a 7.25” commented Dive almost in disbelief at his accomplishment as he stood with his King of the Groms cloak draped over his shoulders and crown a top his head.

Dive never really had the final sealed with Johnny Hicks holding a good 6.75 point ride in his tally. However, late in the heat when Dive posted a 6.9 on his last scoring ride it put further pressure on Hicks who then required a 7.41 with minimal time on the clock. “I didn’t really think I had it until the final hooter. Johnny has been surfing sick all week so I knew he could do it on any wave out there so yeah…it was not until the final hooter that the international final and a trip to France even entered my mind”. Dive was referring to his trip for two to France and entry into the international Quiksilver King of the Groms. The best 48 age group surfers in the world compete at the event and Dive will be one of those select few.

Hicks showed his disappointment in not winning the final but both him and Dive also made the final of the Under 18 which will be contested on Saturday. Blake Myers (WGM) placed third in the final scoring 11.1 points with some big backhand turns and young Ben Poulter (Rag) finished in fourth scoring 8.8 points.

First thing in the morning the Under 18 Boys Division began the day. The form continued for the two local boys Johnny Hicks and Buck Woods who both progressed through to the final. Buck Woods top scored with 15.05 to win the second semifinal while Hicks progressed in second behind Sean Peggs (Rag) who relished the bigger punchier waves on offer today compared with the smaller conditions during the week. Peggs opened the heat with two big turns to score 7.0 points and then scored a 6.5 point ride late in the heat to secure his place in the final. Woods cemented his win late in the heat with an excellent 8.75 point ride progressing with Alex Dive (Mnt) who together eliminated giant killer Joe Moretti (Mimiwhangata) and Robert Courian (Mnt).

Late on Thursday the Kneeboard division was surfed to completion. Local surfer Luke Porter took out the title with a long 15 years between drinks for the surfer who won his first national title back in 1991 and then again in 1993. Porter scored 12.25 in the final to easily outpoint his opponents. Auckland’s Craig McDonald placed second in the final after earlier beating Porter in the semifinals. Taranaki surfer Royden Stewart placed third ahead of Craig Hooper in fourth.

The swell is expected to remain the same size for the final day of the Hyundai National Surfing Championships presented by Quiksilver. With winds tending from the same southerly direction it is possible that the final day of action will be held at Kaiaua Bay again – 40 minutes north of Gisborne. A total of only ten heats (four hours) remain to complete the event. A decision on the location and order of events for the final day of the event, day seven, will be made at 7am on Saturday morning.

See below for results from day seven of the Hyundai National Surfing Championships presented by Quiksilver.

Open Men Quarterfinals

Heat 1

Bobby Hansen (Gis), 1, Matt Scorringe (WGM), 2, Rowan Aish (Muriwai), 3, Chris Malone (Gis), 4

Heat 2

Maz Quinn (Gis), 1, Luke Cederman (Rag), 2, Mark Dovey (Mnt), 3, Luke Kerr (Tara), 4

Heat 3

Blair Stewart (Gis), 1, Jay Quinn (Gis), 2, Damon Gunness (Gis), 3, Gauranga Ormond (Whmata), 4

Heat 4

Leon Santorik (Rag), 1, Zennor Wernham (Rag), 2, Brent Rasby (Gis), 3, Mike Banks (Rag), N/S

Open Men Semifinals

Heat 1

Bobby Hansen (Gis), 1, Matt Scorringe (WGM), 2, Maz Quinn (Gis), 3, Luke Cederman (Rag), 4

Heat 2

Jay Quinn (Gis), 1, Zennor Wernham (Rag), 2, Blair Stewart (Gis), 3, Leon Santorik (Rag), 4

Open Men Finals (Yet to be surfed)

Bobby Hansen (Gis), Matt Scorringe (WGM), Jay Quinn (Gis), Zennor Wernham (Rag)

Open Women Semifinals

Heat 1

Angie Koops (Kaik), 1, Rosa Thompson (Akl), 2, Alexis Poulter (Piha), 3, Laura Rishworth (Mnt), 4

Heat 2

Mischa Davis (Auck), 1, Daisy Thomas (ChCh), 2, Jessica Santorik (Rag), 3, Michelle Langdon (Mnt), 4

Open Women Finals

Angie Koops (Kaik), Rosa Thompson (Akl), Mischa Davis (Auck), Daisy Thomas (ChCh)

Under 18 Boys Semifinals

Heat 1

Sean Peggs (Tairua), 1, Johnny Hicks (Gis), 2, Michael Mallalieu, 3, Tara, Adam Cranston, (Gis), 4

Heat 2

Buck Woods, (Gis), 1, Alex Dive (Mnt), 2, Robert Courian (Mnt), 3, Joe Moretti (Mimiwhangata), 4

Under 18 Boys Finals (Yet to be surfed)

Sean Peggs (Tairua), Johnny Hicks (Gis), Buck Woods, (Gis), Alex Dive (Mnt)

Open Longboard Semifinals

Heat 1

Trent Dickey (Auck), 1, Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck), 2, Kelly Ryan (Gis), 3, Michael Fitzharris (Gis), 4

Heat 2

Jay Quinn (Gis), 1, Dylan Barnfield (Ohope), 2, Sam Guthrie (Mnt), 3, Duncan Cameron, (Mnt), 4

Open Longboard Finals (Yet to be surfed)

Trent Dickey (Auck), Thomas Kibblewhite (Auck), Jay Quinn (Gis), Dylan Barnfield (Ohope)

Quiksilver King of the Groms Under 16 Boys Finals

Alex Dive (Tauranga), 1, Johnny Hicks (Gis), 2, Blake Myers, (Whamata), 3, Ben Poulter (Piha), 4

Under 18 Girls Finals

Alexis Poulter (Rag), 1, India Wray Murane, (Muriwai), 2, Rosa Thompson (Auck), 3, Nicola Colson-Koster (Auck), 4

Over 40 Men Semifinals

Heat 1

Clinton Ashill (Whngrei), 1, Eddie Daly (Gis), 2, Derek Tanser (HBay), 3

Heat 2

Michael Fitzharris (Gis), 1, Glenn Shuker (ChCh), 2, Phil Erickson (Gis), N/S

Over 40 Men Finals

Clinton Ashill (Whngrei), Eddie Daly (Gis), Michael Fitzharris (Gis), Glenn Shuker (ChCh)

Over 45 Men Semifinals

Heat 1

Rod Welch (Gis), Glenn Shuker (ChCh), David Storck (Piha)

Heat 2

John Gisby (Gis), Larry Foster (Gis), Barry McCulloch (Tai)